(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to aquatic flotation devices and more particularly to inflatable flotation vests.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Two popular types of inflatable life vests generally comprise either a single continuous inflatable chamber or two back-to-back chambers. There are certain disadvantages associated with such life vests particularly when such a vest is punctured. Specially, puncturing a single chamber vest completely destroys the usefulness of the vest as a flotation device. While the dual chamber life vests avoid complete deflation by providing redundant chambers, such life vests are generally stored and also worn, as a precautionary or safety device, with the deflated chambers adjacent one another. It is likely that any puncture will involve both chambers. Dual-chamber inflatable life vests tend to be heavier and more expensive than vests with single chambers because the two-chamber vests require an inflation mechanism for each chamber. This duplication increases the cost and the weight of such life vests.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,046,576 to Bernhardt discloses a third type of life jacket that is essentially a hybrid of the first and second types. A first chamber forms a collar that forms a collar substantially encircling the user's neck. A second section overlies a portion of the user's chest. Each chamber attaches to a supporting member and connects through check valves and a common conduit to a compressed air source for selective inflation. By design the inflation path for the first chamber has less resistance than the inflation path for the second chamber. Consequently the first, or collar, chamber inflates first. If the second chamber does not inflate during this procedure, a hose with check valve and mouth piece connected to the second chamber enables direct inflation of the second chamber. However, it is not possible to inflate the first chamber through this hose.
Some other types of flotation vests have a spaced array of mutually isolated air chambers as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 836,524 to Morrell and U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,993 to McDaniel. The Morrell patent discloses a lifesaving suit having a rubber shirt and pants worn by the user. A series of isolated air compartments allow the vest to remain buoyant even if one compartment is punctured. The compartments on each side of the suit are filled by hand operated pumps positioned on respective sides of the suit.
The McDaniel patent discloses a flotation garment with first and second sheets of a thermoplastic film bonded face to face along a rectilinear grid work of seams forming a spaced array of mutually isolated air cells. The garment will not substantially lose its buoyancy when a portion of the cells are punctured. The bonded seams are perforated at selected points to enable adequate ventilation.
Other known types of inflatable devices including swimming floats, boat and buoy floats, and other protection devices are described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.
1,917,613 (1933) Szumkowski PA1 3,895,396 (1975) Amarantos PA1 4,850,912 (1989) Koyanagi
In the Szumkowski patent, for example, a swimming float comprises an air duct worn on the user's waist for interconnecting a series of air chambers formed by bicycle inner tubes that are closed at one end. A hand pump provides a source of inflation fluid. Some air chambers secure at their closed ends to the swimmer's legs and others secure to the upper back and chest to provide buoyancy. Hand operated valves in the air duct isolate series of the chambers against deflation in case of a rupture of others.
The Amarantos patent discloses a deployable protection device having plurality of attached, elongated inflatable cells worn in a rolled up condition about the waist which are selectively inflated. The cells unroll upon inflation to extend upwardly and downwardly about the wearer to protect the user from an environmental change, and the cells interconnect with the inflation source through a check valve to inhibit deflation of the cells thereby.
The Koyanagi patent discloses sealed containers for containing a fluid and for such uses as lifesaving buoys and boat flotation members. Specifically, a plurality of sac-like containers connect through individual check valves to a guide tube for inflating and resisting deflation of the containers through the guide tube.
Each of these references fail to disclose, singularly and collectively, a inflatable life vest having a plurality of inflatable chambers arranged about the wearer so as to support the wearer in the event of a puncture of one or more of the chambers. The references also fail to teach a life vest having a plurality of chambers which is relatively easy to use, to store and manufacture.